Sewer&#39;s article



June 12, 1934. OLDHAM 1 962325 SEWER 5 ARTICLE Filed April 10, 1933Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEWERS ARTICLE 1Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in sewers articles, having for anobject to provide an inexpensive and simple device adapted to beattached to a thread spool of conventional design,

. 5 whereby when a length of thread is removed from the equipped spool,the same may be effectually and quickly severed, and at the same time,have the free end of the thread remaining upon the spool firmly, yetremovably secured with respect thereto, hence, avoiding those objectionsand waste incident to the unwinding of the thread received upon thespool until such time as a user may desire to remove another length ofthe same therefrom.

An equally important object of the invention may be stated to reside inthe provision of a device of the character mentioned, including in itsconstruction, means for removably retaining a needle thereupon, that is,receiving and holding the needle adjacent the end of the spool when theformer is not in use, and hence, preventing its loss, as well asrendering the same available for use at all times. V

A further object of the invention can be stated to reside in theprovision of a sewers article, which, in addition to being ofexceedingly cheap and simple construction, will possess a maximum ofdurability, being capable of being attached to .any design or type ofnow prevalent thread receiving spools and also, permitting of hand orsewing machine usage of a spool so equipped, Without any interferencewhatsoever from the attached device.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and inpartpointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains, I have inthe accompanying drawing and in the detailed 40 description basedthereupon, set out several em- .50 arrows point;

Figure 4 is also a section which is taken along the line 4-4 of Figure1, looking in the direction in which the arrows point, and,

Figure 5 is a perspective of a slightly modified form of the device.

Having more particular reference to the drawing, in connection withwhich like characters of reference will designate corresponding partsthroughout, the invention comprises a sheet-like body 1, formed of metalor other suitable material and of any desired shape, though in theparticular embodiments chosen for illustration herein, said body isshown to be circular. The center or intermediate portion of the body isformed with a plurality of relatively right-angularly disposed andtapered spurs or teeth 2, the same being preferably formed by scoring orsimilarly treating the intermediate portion of the body 1, and thenpunching or striking these scored portions outwardly in such a mannerthat they are bent at substantially right angles to the body, andprovide a series of relatively circularly disposed teeth. The attachingmeans thus formed by the teeth 2 are adapted to be bindingly or snuglyengaged in one end of the usual co-axial bore or spindle receivingopening of a thread spool, indicated by the reference letter S and beingwell shown in the Figure 2. Consequently upon such engagement of thecircularly disposed teeth 2 with one end of the bore or opening of thespool S, it will be readily understood that the substantially flat orsheet-like body 1 will have its inner face flushly engaged with theadjacent end of the equipped spool S, that is, arranged in substantiallyjuxtaposed relation with respect to said end of the spool. Also, it willbe noted that the sheet-like body so attached to the spool will befirmly held in its juxtaposed position with respect to the adjacentspool end, though, when desired, it may be removed therefrom for usagein connection with another spool.

Relatively spaced and opposed ears 3 and 3 are struck outwardly from aportion of the body 1, and as will be noted upon reference to theFigures 1 and 4, said ears are disposed at relatively acute angles withrespect to said body. If desired, the marginal portions of the earsmaybe sharpened. Due to the relative position or the angles ofpositioning of the ears 3 and 3' with respect to the body 1, it will beunderstood that substantially wedge-shaped thread receiving pockets orways will be provided, the purpose of which will be subsequentlyapparent. It will also be noted that the opposed angularly outstruckears 3 and 3 are positioned in proximity to a portion of the peripheryor margin of the sheet-like body 1, hence, bringing them closer to theperiphery of the adjacent spool end, and consequently, betterfacilitating the engagement of thread removed from the spool thereabout.

With a view toward providing the device with means to efiect theremovable retention or securing of a needle thereupon, a portion of thebody 1, preferably diametrically opposite the opposed ears 3 and 3 isstruck outwardly, providing a loop-like device or collar 4, under whichone end of a needle N may be engaged, as is well shown in the Figures 1and 2, the needle being disposed over said body 1, as is illustrated inthe Figure 1, and hence, being positively retained upon the equippedspool so that it will be conveniently available for usage. Obviously, toremove the needle, a user of the device need only grasp a portion of itand move it laterally until disengagement of the same from the retainingcollar 4 is effected.

While I have herein illustrated the invention as being of a size lessthan that of the end of the spool equipped therewith, it is, of course,to be understood that this particular size may be increased. Forexample, the size of the body 1 may correspond to that of the end of thespool S, and furthermore, if desired, the device may be made indifferent sizes to correspond to the different sizes or diameters ofspool ends.

In using the improved sewers article as a means for severing a length ofthread removed from an equipped spool, the thread is preferably passedunder either one of the ears 3 or 3', thence, from said ear under theremaining ear, whereupon the free end of the removed length of thread ispulled in a direction to cause it to be bindingly engaged under the lastmentioned ear, due to the acute angle with which the same is arranged tothe adjacent part of the body 1. At this time, the engaged portion ofthe thread will be firmly anchored and thereupon, the user sharply pullsthe thread over an adjacent marginal portion of the last-mentioned ear,causing it to be cleanly severed. It will be thus seen that because ofthe engagement of the free end of the thread remaining upon the spoolwith the opposed ears 3 and 3, objectionable unwinding thereof withrespect to the spool will be prevented, and at the same time, the freeend of the thread will be conveniently accessible to a user in orderthat another length or strand might be removed from the spool when it isso desired.

Instead of arranging or passing the thread under both of the ears 3 and3', it is also to be understood that said thread may be passed under butone of the ears 3 or 3', being forced back into the tapered way effectedbetween that particular ear and the adjacent portion of the body 1 untilit is bindingly engaged, whereupon the thread is pulled over the cuttingedge of this particular ear for severing of the removed length ofthread.

By reason of the circularly disposed series of teeth 2, hereinbeforedescribed, it will be understood that the device will be firmly, yetremovably secured in position adjacent one end of an equipped spool.When it is desired to remove the device from one spool to another, thismay be readily accomplished, since whereas the engagement of thecircularly disposed series of teeth 2 in the co-axial bore of the spoolS insures positive connection of the device with the spool, they, at thesame time, will allow the device to be removed from one spool andapplied to another.

In the Figure 5, I have shown a slightly modified form of the improvedsewers article. In this particular embodiment of the invention, 1'represents the sheet-like body portion, formed of metal or othersuitable material and of the desired size and shape, though in thisparticular illustration, the body is shown to be circular. The center orintermediate portion of the body is formed with circularly disposedspool engaging and retaining teeth 2', while relatively spaced andpreferably diametrically opposed ears 3 and 3 are struck outwardly fromsaid body, and if desired, the marginal portions of these cars may besharpened. The ears 3 and 3 it will be noted, are disposed in directionsaway from the adjacent or near peripheral portions of the body, and byreason of the mode of striking them from said body, said ears provide,as between themselves and the adjacent portions of the body,substantially inwardly tapering or wedge-shaped thread receiving pocketsor ways.

To provide the device with means to facilitate the retention of a needlethereupon, and the threading of such needle, at times, the exposed orouter side of the body 1 is formed with a groove or depression 4, oneend of which opens onto an adjacent marginal portion of the body, whileits opposite end terminates at a point just inwardly of the immediatelyadjacent marginal portion of said body. This particular groove, it willbe understood, provides a receiving means for a needle and in order thatthe needle may be removably, yet securely retained in the same and withrespect to the body 1, a pair of relatively opposed and right-angularlypositioned spring fingers 5 are stamped or struck outwardly fromadjacent portions of said body immediately adjacent the opposite sidesof an intermediate portion of the needle receiving groove 4'. Obviously,when a needle is engaged by the spring fingers 5, it will be securelyretained in the groove 4 and consequently, held against displacementwith respect to the equipped spool.

A second groove 6 is formed in another part of the exposed or outer sideof the body 1', being disposed at substantially right angles to thegroove 4', and intersecting the same, as is clearly shown in Figure 5.The opposite ends of this second groove 6 open onto marginal portions ofthe body, and by consequence, it provides an effectual guideway intowhich the free end of a length of thread may be introduced and thenslidably moved therethrough, for a purpose which will presently becomeapparent. Because of the fact that this depression 6 intersects thegroove 4 it will be understood that when the eye of a needle received insaid groove 4 is aligned with the intersecting portion of the groove 6,a thread end, slidably moving through this latter groove will beautomatically directed through the aligned needle eye, hence, effectinga convenient and quick threading of the needle.

To use the thread cutting portion of the modified form of the device forsevering a removed or unwound length of thread from the main portionwound upon an equipped spool, it is only necessary that a portion of theremoved thread be drawn inwardly with respect to the periphery of theequipped spool and engaged under an adjacent ear 3 or 3 from the innerside thereof. Thereupon, the thread is passed outwardly with respect tothe particularly engaged ear and is pulled sharply into the extremeinner end of the tapered way formed between said engaged ear and theadjacent portion of the body 1, hence, causing it to be bindinglyengaged with the device. At this time, the thread is pulled upwardlyover the adjacent marginal portion of the aforesaid engaged ear, causingit to be cleanly severed. Due

to the fact that the thread engaged under the ear 3 or 3' has beenpulled into the inner end of the wedge-shaped way between said ear andthe adjacent portion of the body 1, it will be understood that the freeend of the thread wound upon the equipped spool will be firmly anchoredwith central portion of the body and extending from its normally innerface at substantially right angles thereto for binding engagement withinthe co-axial bore of the spool for connecting said body to one of thespool ends, a pair of juxtaposed and relatively opposed ears struck froma part of the body in proximity to a portion of its margin, said earsprojecting outwardly from the normally outer face of the body whereby toprovide substantially wedge-like thread-receiving ways between the sameand the body, and a loop-like element struck outwardly from the normallyouter face of the body and arranged in substantially diametric relationto that portion of said body between said juxtaposed ears.

INEZ MARIAM OLDHAM.

